Light fixture

ABSTRACT

A light fixture having a frame which holds illuminating means and a cover adapted to fit thereon, the frame having attached thereto a spring member, the frame and spring member being adapted to receive and selectively hold a portion of an edge of the cover, the distance between the spring member and frame being variable to thereby vary the holding force on that portion of the edge of the cover.

United States Patent [72} Inventor Reed P. Gardner 1803 Bayview Ave., Belmont, Calif. 94002 [21] Applr No. 685,910 [22] Filed Nov. 27, 1967 [45] Patented Jan. 12, 1971 1 [54] LIGHT FIXTURE 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 240/146, 240/51.l1,240/78 [51] Int. Cl F21v 17/00 [50] Field of Search 240/ 146, 78, 51.1 1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 919,312 4/1909 Brandt 240/146 2,319,732 5/1943 Guth 240/51.1l 2,533,661 12/1950 Arenberg 240/5 1.11 2,643,328 6/1953 Elmendorf 240/5 1.11 2,825,798 3/1958 Zingone 240/51.l1 3,038,062 6/1962 Liberman 240/78X Primary ExaminerJohn M. l-loran Assistant ExaminerMonroe H. Hayes AttorneyMellin, Moore & Weissenberger "(Fu t I2 56 l6 8O 79 E 7 IYPATENTEDJANIZIQTI 3555,2539

SHEET 1 OF 4 INVENTOR. REED P. GARDNER BY M0 M Z WW ATTORNEYS PATENTED JAN 1 2 I97! SHEET 2 BF 4 FIG .3

F IG 5 REED P. GARDNER ee/a, m

ATTORNEYS PATENTEUJMI2E1?! SHEET 3 BF 4 ATTORNEYS PATENTEU JANIZIQ?! SHEET U 0F 4 III-II '8 INVENTOR. REED P GARDNER M Mr- ATTORNEYS train FIXTURE SPECIFICATION This invention relates to light fixtures, and more particularly, to a fixture which has means therein for selectively holding a portion of an edge of a light cover.

Background of the Invention In the prior art, various light fixtures which allow access to the bulbs or fluorescent tubes therein are known. For example, British Pat. 800,323 discloses a light, the cover of which is held on by clamplike structures, and Italian Pat. 620,853 teaches a spring which snaps over a lip formed on the edge of the cover to hold it in place. In the United States patents found, Zimmerman U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,072 disclosed a light cover hinged to a body and held in place by screws, and Schneider U.S. Pat. No. 2,861,711 shows a light cover hinged to a frame and held closed by a spring force in the hinge.

These devices, however, are not without certain drawbacks. For example, the clamps of British Pat. 800,323 are quite complicated and require the cover to be properly positioned before they can be used. Italian Pat. 620,853 depends on a hairpin spring to hold the cover in place, with no holding force applied by the light frame or any other member. Furthermore, no accessible adjustment means is provided to vary the holding force of the spring and so the proper holding force must be designed in initially to close tolerances, requiring relatively great expense. Zimmerman U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,072, utilizing screws, does not provide convenient access to the illuminating means therein, since a number of those screws must be removed first. The device of Schneider US. Pat. No. 2,861,71 1, it will be noted, is not well adapted for use with its cover facing downward, since it depends mainly on spring force on its hinge to hold the cover in place, and there is only a small frictional force to hold the side of the cover opposite the hinge.

It is the object of the invention to overcome the above problems by providing a light, the cover of which is stably held in place and yet allows easy and immediate access to the illuminating means of the light, meanwhile being extremely sim-. ple in construction and operation.

Summary of the Invention Broadly stated, the light comprises a frame and illuminating means attached to the frame. A cover having edges complementary to the edges of the frame is hingedly mounted to the frame to selectively enclose and expose the illuminating means. A member is disposed adjacent a portion of an edge of the frame, a portion of an edge of the cover being receivable between the member and the portion of the edge of the frame and selectively holdable therebetween by both simultaneously, whereby the illuminating means is enclosed. Means are included for adjusting the member relative to the portion of the edge of the frame to vary the distance therebetween, whereby the holding force on the portion of the edge of the cover may be varied.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of the description and drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the light fixture;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device, with portions removed, and partially in section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, with a portion removed, taken along the lines 3-3 of P16. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the back of the device, with portions broken away and removed;

H6. 5 is a view of the means for selectively holding a portion of an edge of the light cover, with the light cover closed;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but with the light cover open, and further showing the adjustment feature of the holding means; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the front of the device, with portions removed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a light fixture is shown generally at 10. The light fixture I0 is made up generally of a longitudinal back plate 12, longitudinal side rails 14 and 16, and end plates 18 and 20. These members are riveted to braces 22, 24, 26, 28 at the joints thereof to form a frame 30. A bracket 32 is fixed to braces 22, 24 adjacent end plate 18, and a bracket 34 is fixed to braces 26, 28 adjacent end plate 20. Each bracket extends from adjacent one side rail 14 to adjacent the other 16. A plate 35 runs between and is fixed to bracket 32 and bracket 34. Bracket 32 has mounted thereon a pair of fluorescent tube holders 36, 38, and bracket 34 has mounted thereon a pair of fluorescent tube holders 40, 42. Tube holders 36, hold a fluorescent tube 44 therebetween, and tube holders 38, 42 hold a fluorescent tube 46 therebetween. A starting ballast, electrical wiring, and an electrical switch (not shown) are included to make the fluorescent tubes 44, 46 operable.

As seen in FIGS. 3 and 7, the side rails 14, 16 and end plates 18, 20 have flanges 14A, 16A, 18A, 20A formed respectively thereon which form a channel 48 which runs completely about the edges of the frame 30. Fitted in the channel 88 is a resilient packing member 50. The side rails l4, l6 and end plates 18, 20 further have ribs 14B, 16B, 18B, 20B formed respectively thereon, which provide a continuous frame edge 52. Riveted to the bank plate 12 and extending therefrom are a pair of resilient spring members 54, 56. The member 54 extends by and perpendicular to a portion 52A. of the frame edge 52, and the member 56 extends by and perpendicular to a portion 52B of the frame edge 52.

A flexible plastic cover 58, having a continuous edge 68 complementary to the edge 52 of the frame 30, is hingedly mounted to the frame 30 alongside rail 14- by means of a flange 58A formed on the cover 58 which coacts with rib MB to allow such hinged movement. The cover 58 may thus be swung open and closed to expose or enclose the fluorescent tubes 44, 46. Wires 70, 72 are fixed to brackets 32, 3 8, respectively, wire 70 attaching to the inside of the cover 58 at one end thereof, and wire 72 attaching to the inside of the cover 58 at the other end thereof. These wires 70, 72 serve to limit the hinging movement of the cover 58.

A bolt 74 passes through an aperture in the side rail 16, through an aperture in the member 54, and threads into a nut 76 which is held from turning relative to the spring member 54. Similarly, a bolt 78 passes through an aperture in the side rail 16, through an aperture in the member 56, and threads into a nut 80 which is held from turning relative to the spring member 56. The spring members 54, 56 are resiliently biased away from the frame edge portions 52A, 528, respectively. The turning of bolts 74,78 thus varies the distance between the spring members 54,56 and the frame edge portions 52A, 528, respectively. Sleeves 77 and 79, disposed on the bolts 74 and 78, respectively, limit the allowable movement of the spring member 54 toward the frame edge portion 52A and the spring member 56 toward the frame edge portion 523.

FIG. 3 reveals the configuration of the edge 68 of the cover 58 which coacts with the spring members 54, 56. That edge, it should be noted, is wider than the width of the cover 58 adjacent it. It is, in fact, substantially triangular in cross section. Edge 68 has a portion 68A which is receivable between edge portion 52A and spring member 54, and has a portion 688 which is receivable between edge portion 528 and spring member 56. It will be seen that the edge portions 68A, 68B are each simultaneously held therebetween. The frame edge portions 52A, 52B and members 54, 56 act on surfaces 82, 84;, respectively, which are substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the edge portions 63A, (288 when the cover 58 is hingedly moved from its fluorescent tube-enclosing position. Because the members 54 and 56 are resilient spring members, and the cover 58 is flexible, the edge portions 625A, ddB may be selectively released by flexing the cover 58 adjacent those portions inward (to the left in H65. 3 and until those portions are no longer held by frame portions 52A and 528, respectively. That side of the cover 58 may then be pulled downward to overcome the spring force of members 5 5, E6.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the edge 6% of the cover 58 seats against the packing member 50 when the edge portions 68A, 63B are held as described above, insuring an effective seal.

As described above, the turning of bolts '74, 78 varies the distance between the spring members 5 3, S6 and the frame edge portions 52A, 528, respectively. Since members 54, 56: are resilient springmembers, the variation of such distances varies the holding force on the portions 63A, 68B of the cover A simple means for adjusting the holding force on the cover 53 is thus provided. This means that the proper distance need not be designed into the apparatus, i.e., less tolerance control is necessary, because the bolts 74, 78 can be adjusted after the light fixture is assembled to provide proper holding of the cover 58.

It will be seen that herein is provided a light fixture, the cover of which is stably held in place even when the light fixture is positioned with the cover facing downward. Meanwhile, easy and immediate access to the fluorescent tubes therein is allowed. The construction and operation of the lighting fixture are quite simple. These features are mainly due to the adjustment means described above, which allows the holding force on the cover to be easily varied.

Ubviously, the invention can be carried out in many different ways, of which the embodiment shown and described is merely illustrative. Therefore, l do not desire to be limited by the embodiment shown and described, but rather only by the scope of the following claims:

l claim:

1. A light fixture comprising a. a frame, including a back plate, a first side rail along one edge of said back plate and a second side rail along the opposite edge of said back plate,

b. illuminating means attached to said back plate,

c. a cover having edges complementary to the edges of the frame and being hingedly mounted to said first side rail to selectively enclose and expose the illuminating means,

d. a member mounted on said frame and having a portion disposed adjacent a portion of said second side rail in spaced relation thereto, a portion of an edge of the cover being receivable between said member and said portion said second side rail and selectively holdable therebetween by two holding forces exerted on said portion of said cover by both simultaneously, whereby the illaminating means is enclosed, and a means for adjusting said portion of said member relative to said portion of said second side rail to vary the distance therebetween, whereby the holding force on the portion of the edge of the cover may be varied.

2. A light fixture according to claim 1 wherein a resilient packing member is disposed about the frame, the complementary edges of the cover seating against the packing member when the portion of the edge of the cover is held between the member and the portion of said second side rail.

3. A light fixture according to claim 1 wherein the member disposed adjacent the portion of the edge of the frame is a resilient spring member. 4. A light fixture according to claim 1 wherein the width of the portion of the edge of the cover is greater than the width of the cover adjacent it.

5. A light fixture according to claim 4 wherein said member and portion of said second side rail each coact with a surface of the portion of the edge of the cover which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of that portion when the cover is hingedly moved from its illuminating meansenclosing position. 

1. A light fixture comprising a. a frame, including a back plate, a first side rail along one edge of said back plate and a second side rail along the opposite edge of said back plate, b. illuminating means attached to said back plate, c. a cover having edges complementary to the edges of the frame and being hingedly mounted to said first side rail to selectively enclose and expose the illuminating means, d. a member mounted on said frame and having a portion disposed adjacent a portion of said second side rail in spaced relation thereto, a portion of an edge of the cover being receivable between said member and said portion said second side rail and selectively holdable therebetween by two holding forces exerted on said portion of said cover by both simultaneously, whereby the illuminating means is enclosed, and e. means for adjusting said portion of said member relative to said portion of said second side rail to vary the distance therebetween, whereby the holding force on the portion of the edge of the cover may be varied.
 2. A light fixture according to claim 1 wherein a resilient packing member Is disposed about the frame, the complementary edges of the cover seating against the packing member when the portion of the edge of the cover is held between the member and the portion of said second side rail.
 3. A light fixture according to claim 1 wherein the member disposed adjacent the portion of the edge of the frame is a resilient spring member.
 4. A light fixture according to claim 1 wherein the width of the portion of the edge of the cover is greater than the width of the cover adjacent it.
 5. A light fixture according to claim 4 wherein said member and portion of said second side rail each coact with a surface of the portion of the edge of the cover which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of that portion when the cover is hingedly moved from its illuminating means-enclosing position. 